1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system and a method for generating three-dimensional image displays, in particular for generating three-dimensional thermal imagers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A three-dimensional display of thermal imagers has already been disclosed by DE 43 32 381 A1, in which case an image reproduction system is described which is of modular design and includes two stereo modules of identical mirror-image design. Two pairs of optics, two pairs of frame memories and two image display devices are provided for a stereo recording and a stereo reproduction. The stereo recording is performed alternately by means of only one image detector. In this case, the beam paths of the two stereo modules are superimposed in a temporally alternating fashion on a common beam path. The detector used is temporally controlled by a synchronization unit and is synchronized with the periodic changeover of the beam paths. The image data are converted into signals with the aid of a scanning converter and are fed to an image processing unit. The images of the narrow and the wide fields of view, or the right-hand and the left-hand stereo channels, are fed respectively in an alternating fashion to the detector and stored in a frame memory at different time intervals. This operation is repeated periodically and progressively.
As when recording by means of two unsynchronized detectors, the disadvantage of this design resides in the fact that owing to the different recording instants, moving objects are located at slightly different points inside the partial images. This leads disadvantageously to an undesired displacement of the moving objects in space. Depending on the temporal sequence of the two partial images and on the very movement of the object, moving objects are therefore displayed in a fashion detached from the coverage area in space, or migrate directly into the display area.
It is equally to be regarded as particularly disadvantageous of the image reproduction system of DE 43 32 381 A1 that when updating the display of the stereo image after recording each partial image, the temporal relationships of the left-hand partial image to the right-hand partial image are still reversed. As a result, the object is displayed in an alternating fashion at in each case half the frequency in the scene and in a detached fashion. If this happens, the stereoscopic viewing of the object fails.